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While a hydrocele is not usually painful, it may be uncomfortable because it makes your scrotum bigger and more sensitive. Usually the cause is unknown, but it can be the result of an injury, infection or, rarely, testicular cancer.

Sometimes, the fluid can be removed with a needle and syringe, but surgery is the best way to make sure the hydrocele doesn’t come back.

We pride ourselves on our clinical excellence, you'll be looked after by an experienced multi-disciplinary care team.

Our patients are at the heart of what we do and we want you to be in control of your care. To us, that means you can choose the consultant you want to see, and when you want. They'll be with you every step of the way.

All of our consultants are of the highest calibre and benefit from working in our modern, well-equipped hospitals.

Our consultants have high standards to meet, often holding specialist NHS posts and delivering expertise in complex sub-specialty surgeries. Many of our consultants have international reputations for their research in their specialised field.

The operation is usually carried out as a day-case, so you won't need to stay overnight in hospital.

After the procedure, you will be taken from the operating theatre to a recovery room, where you will come round from the anaesthesia under close supervision.

After this, you will be taken to your room or comfortable area where you can rest and recuperate until we feel you’re ready to go home.

Pain relief

If you need them, continue taking painkillers as advised by the hospital. We will provide you with a supply of all the medicines your consultant feels you need to take home with you after you've left hospital, up to 14 days. This may be at an additional cost to some patients.

Wearing close-fitting underwear day and night for a week or two will help to support your scrotum, ease discomfort and prevent swelling.

After a week the wound should be almost pain–free. You can go back to work and resume sexual activity when you feel comfortable, or when your surgeon advises. Dis-solvable stitches will disappear on their own after about a week and your wound should heal fairly quickly. However, if you have any concerns, do not hesitate to contact the hospital.

How your loved ones can help

Once you’re ready to be discharged from hospital, you’ll need to arrange a taxi, friend or family member to take you home as you won’t be able to drive.

Follow your surgeon’s advice about driving. You should not drive until you can make an emergency stop without discomfort.

Looking after you

Even after you’ve left hospital, we’re still looking after you every step of the way. After hydrocele surgery, we will provide you with all the appropriate medication, advice on what to do and not to do, and follow-up support.

Your nurse will give you a telephone number for the hospital, in case you need to ask for any further advice. If you have any non-dissolvable stitches, you will be given an appointment for the out-patient clinic to have them removed.

Specific complications of this operation are uncommon, but as with any surgery to the scrotum, you may have some temporary difficulty passing urine. A catheter (a tube) may be needed for the first day or so, to drain urine from your bladder into a bag or bottle. There is also a rare chance that the operation causes the spermatic cord to be squeezed too tightly, partially cutting off the blood supply. This could eventually lead to the testicle shrinking.

Call us straight away if you experience any of these symptoms:

difficulty passing urine

severe swelling or redness of the scrotum

increasing bleeding from the wound

a yellow or white discharge from the wound

a high temperature or fever

pain that can’t be controlled by painkillers

Your consultant will talk to you about the possible risks and complications of having this procedure and how they apply to you.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

A fixed price for this treatment may be available on enquiry and following an initial consultation.

You can trust Spire Fylde Coast Hospital to provide you with a single, fixed price (1) so there are no surprises. And, through our carefully chosen partner (2) you can even be considered for interest free finance.

We’re here to help you with making these important choices, so you’re then free to concentrate on your treatment and on getting back to being you.

(1) Important: Please read Spire’s terms and conditions for full details of what’s included and excluded in your fixed price* when paying for yourself.

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Spire Fylde Coast Hospital

St Walburgas Road BlackpoolLancashireFY3 8BP

01253 394188

Thank you and best regards from the Spire Healthcare team

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.